The present invention generally relates to detection of location spoofing, and more specifically, to using wireless communication networks to detect global positioning system (GPS) spoofing.
Mobile device, such as smartphones, commonly include location sensors, such as GPS sensors that can detect the longitude and latitude of the device to determine its location. Organizations such as merchants can offer location-based services to users of such devices through mobile applications, websites or the like. For example, a merchant may provide a user that is within a certain proximity of a store with a discount offer for a product at the store. Similarly, augmented reality applications and location-based games may similarly use a mobile device's location to provide other application or game functionalities to users based on their location. However, it may be possible for some users to spoof the GPS data of their device to create the impression that the user is at a location that the user is not really at, thereby potentially providing the user with unfair or fraudulent access to such merchant offers, application and/or gaming functionalities.